A former coach with US college football team Penn State has been convicted of 45 out of 48 counts of child sex abuse.
Jerry Sandusky, 68, was found guilty of abusing ten boys over a 15-year period.
Sentencing is expected in about 90 days.
Sandusky had denied the accusations, which have become the focus of much attention in the US and have also tarnished the legacy of Pennsylvania State University.
Following his conviction, police led Sandusky away from the courthouse in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania in handcuffs to the local jail.
Bystanders outside the courthouse cheered upon news of the verdicts.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly called Sandusky "a serial child predator who committed horrific acts" and thanked the victims for testifying, saying they had "shown great strength" in telling their stories.
Eight of those victims took the stand, offering graphic testimony about Sandusky's actions.
The crimes took place on campus, in hotel rooms and at his home.
Another coach told the court he saw Sandusky raping a boy in the showers at Penn State.
Prosecutors said he recruited his victims through his Second Mile charity, which went bankrupt last month after donations dried up in the wake of the scandal.
The scandal led to the firing of Penn State's long-time head football coach Joe Paterno, a few weeks before his unexpected death from lung cancer in January at the age of 85.
The legendary coach was fired in November for failing to notify authorities when he was told Sandusky had been seen molesting a boy in the shower.
The university's president, Graham Spanier, was also sacked.
Mr Paterno's family released a brief statement calling the verdict an "important milestone," thanking the jurors for their "diligent service" and offering prayers to the victims and their families.
Two other Penn State officials, Tim Curley and Gary Schultz, face trial for lying to a grand jury investigating Sandusky.
